Title
Waŋupini
2017
Artist
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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Yirrkala
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North-east Arnhem Land
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Northern Territory
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Australia
- Cultural origin
- Dhalwaŋu, Arnhem region
- Date
- 2017
- Media category
- Bark painting
- Materials used
- natural pigments on bark
- Dimensions
- 175.0 x 73.0 cm
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased with funds provided by the Aboriginal Art Collection Benefactors 2018
- Location
- Naala Nura, lower level 1, Asian Lantern galleries
- Accession number
- 242.2018
- Copyright
- © Estate of Nawurapu Wunuŋmurra
- Wynne Prize
- - 2018
- Artist information
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Nawurapu Wunuŋmurra
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
“The sun rises and sets, painting the clouds. The spirits are born and die, to be reborn once more. Makassan friends from Indonesia visit for trade, arriving with the northern monsoon and departing on the winds associated with bulunu (the south-east cloud formations that bring rain). This painting charts the Djapana song cycle (Djapana means ‘sunset’ in Yolŋu matha or language, and ‘farewell’ in Bugis, an Indonesian dialect). The anvil and triangular shapes are clouds, pregnant women and the sails of red prau (an Indonesian fishing boat). This takes place at the marŋarr (an ancestral Makassan port) in Nawurapu Wunuŋmurra’s Dhalwaŋu clan at Gurrumuru, upstream from Arnhem Bay. He died days after submitting this work (for the 2018 Wynne Prize). He declined medical treatment, confident of returning.”
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Places
Where the work was made
Yirrkala
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Elemental, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 30 Jul 2022–2024